46 Years of Crime Prevention: Randi Elrad and Jorgia Wooten of Crime Prevention Security Systems

Randi Elrad and John Pastore of Crime Prevention Security Systems have been serving the people of Gainesville for 46 years. 

In 1975, Randi graduated from college and worked as a special education teacher. Her husband, John, was a microbiologist and worked at the lab overnight, which led Randi to feel scared all through the night. She grew up in a big family and never enjoyed being home alone.

“He would always leave in the middle of the night and I’d be terrified, and I thought man there’s gotta be something that can help me with him being gone at the lab in the middle of the night,” Randi said.

Together, they started Crime Prevention Security Systems on their kitchen table in their tiny duplex home. Although they had no business experience, they knew they wanted to serve one purpose: to prevent crime. They found a little product and decided to market it.

“We started a little business on our kitchen table with a commercial phone and a yellow page ad,” Randi said. 

During their first year, a college student studying computer science asked if he could work as an alarm installer for their company. He had previous experience in the industry and said he would teach them everything he knew about the alarm system industry if they would help support his family to get him and his wife through college. Randi and John accepted his invitation. Today, he stands as one of the leading consultants in computer science and has helped Crime Prevention stand as the 67th alarm company in the United States. 

“We attribute our success of these 46 years based on the incredible people that work with us,” Randi said. 

Today, the company has four owners. Randi, John, and their two daughters, Jorgia Wooten and Jessica Pastore McKinney. Just before Jorgia was born, they moved into a house with an enclosed garage that soon became the second generation office. 

“I’ve been able to grow up with the company and that’s been a really cool experience,” Jorgia said.

Jorgia says the family dynamic within the company works because the four of them have found their separate roles and don’t try to interfere with each other.

“There’s things we really are good at and there’s things we really enjoy within the business, and it’s taken a while but I think we have all found where that is,” Jorgia said.

Although Crime Prevention is a large organization with 70 employees, their company culture is centered around family. Randi says no matter how big they get, the feeling of the family will always be part of their company. 

Today, their company serves residential clients and has additionally begun serving commercial clients as well.

“We love working, my husband and I. We love our company, we love what we do, we love the whole idea of protecting our community,” Randi said.

Listen to the 133rd episode of the WHOA GNV podcast to hear more about Randi Elrad and John Pastore’s journey to starting Crime Prevention Security Systems and navigating the family dynamics within the business. 

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